18/02/2022
Be careful today everyone! It's going to be a blustery one. Better to sit in and stay warm, have lots of cups of tea and chill.
⚠️ Weather Alert: The MetOffice has now issued a rare RED warning for Essex on Friday due to forecasted "extremely strong winds".
The high winds from Storm Eunice are expected to cause "significant disruption and dangerous conditions"
The Met Office have said there is a now a real risk of:
- Flying debris resulting in danger to life
- Damage to buildings and homes, with roofs blown off and power lines brought down
- Roads, bridges and railway lines closed, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights
- Power cuts affecting other services, such as mobile phone coverage
- Large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and homes
The RED weather warning is in place from 10:00 GMT.
We will be bringing you LIVE updates from around Southend throughout the storm on our page, Twitter feed and Instagram channel.
Train operator Greater Anglia has asked people to only travel if it is essential and they are running a reduced timetable on all lines due to a speed restriction imposed by Network Rail for safety during the storm.
Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street will be a half-hourly train service.
c2c are advising passengers not to travel at all today and to travel instead on Saturday 19 February. A spokesperson said: "High winds present the risk of debris being blown onto the tracks. Debris, such as trees, can block lines until they can be safely removed and in some cases debris can cause damage to overhead wires and lineside equipment."